“As we are a Coliseum sanctioned vendor, we use the system to validate bids on each item. But we also like to keep it old school. Please raise your table number every time you place a bid, it makes things easier to manage on our end, and it’s also more fun that way.
“All bids will be shown on the screen behind me as well, so you all know who you’re up against.”
The hostess waved her arm behind her and specks of gold filtered through the stage’s silver backdrop. Gold light filtered into the silver swirls, forming a sparkling metallic mixture of a system screen. A table flashed up on the screen.
Bidder
Table
Price
“Now. Unless anybody has any objections, I believe we’re ready to go.”
Jay felt a rumble beneath his chair, as if thousands of people simultaneously started stomping the ground. The vibration gradually rose, he could feel it with his whole body. His heart fought against another drum beating his chest.
“Gladiators... Are you ready… For the two hundred and forty fourth Moontide auction… To Begin!”
A modest amount of applause came from the tables. Some more enthusiastic than others, but none more enthusiastic than Akira. The young man stood to his feet and cheered as loud as he could, clapping his hands together and making thunderclaps that could rival Jay’s fists’.
Jay had never seen the twins in perfect unison, but they both cradled their heads in their hands watching Akira. Both embarrassed by his overeager applause.
“Do you guys have anything in particular you’re looking for?” Jay asked, eager to move past the awkwardness.
“Not really.” Said Akira. Finally sitting back down. “More just looking for anything interesting. We’ve got most of our gear ready for the advancement tournament, and our fighting styles are pretty locked in, so only an advanced skill crystal would be any useful. I’ll keep an eye out for you though. There might be something good that you can use for sale here.”
“What do you think I need?”
“I’d consider a weapon, but only if it’s good enough to warrant learning how to use it. It would be pointless for you to learn how to use a sword when you could spend that time studying electrical essence or whatever. However, if the sword is special in some way, let’s say it enhances the user’s speed, then it might be worth getting.
“The same goes for any skill crystals. It’s best for you to grow your own fighting style, but if something interesting enough comes up, I’d recommend buying it. The only thing I wouldn’t recommend buying is any armour. Your clothes are already good enough.”
“What? These?” Jay said, pinching the red tracksuit like outfit the storm sage had given him. “I get why you told me to keep it against the gorilla, but what if I have to fight a swordsman? Surely something with metal would be better?”
“Not really.” Said Lyra. “It’s partly an issue with familiarity, since you haven’t fought in armour before and you focus on speed, but those clothes are genuinely really good. Notice how they didn’t even rip once in your last fight or any of your trials with the storm sage? The material is tough and there's definitely a subtle weave of storm essence within them. I would maybe think about gauntlets, or another type of hand armour though. Something that’ll help you block the big shots. We’ll see what shows up.”
They all turned their eyes forward, where a slab of reddish-brown metal was wheeled on stage.
“This, ladies and gentlemen, is two hundred kilograms of Dagonite bronze. Mined from the Ironbreath bone in the Titanic Shores, this metal resists fire, acid, and abrasions better than any unenchanted metal. But that’s not its greatest strength. No. Its greatest strength is its malleability.”
The hostess walked over to the slab and pressed her hand into it. Her hand sunk in, and she broke a chunk of metal off as if it was clay.
“Until the metal is conjoined with a primer, it can be morphed into virtually any position.” She threw the chunk she’d just ripped off back at the slab. It immediately stuck, rejoining with the block in its new position. “Dagonite bronze is the ideal material for intricate channel carving. It can add specificity to any item you wish to create! Bids for this item start at 1000 CP.”
The table immediately started filling up, and Jay could see why his friends liked raw materials being on sale. Within ten seconds the highest bid was already three thousand. Within sixty it hit five thousand.
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The bids kept adding up, slowing down until eventually the final bid came in at 7750 CP. The slab of metal was rolled out, and another tray rolled in. This time hauling what appeared to be a tough lizard hide.
“It’s gonna be a while before anything we want appears.” Akira said. “Just sit back and enjoy the show till the good stuff arrives.”
----------------------------------------
Jay sat back and watched more sets of materials roll across the stage while people bid more than Jay’s entire net worth on them. Eventually, a tray rolled out with nothing but a single fist sized opal on it.
“This is copy number 17,590 of Nabakov’s Illusory wisps collection. Only 20,000 were ever made, they contain his insights into the essence of Illusion, and essence of copying.”
Lyra perked up at the end of that sentence. She reached for the table fourteen sign and placed a bid of 500 on the crystal as soon as the host finished explaining it. She was quickly outbid however, and only placed another bid of 800 before the item eventually got sold to table 58 for 950 CP. She didn’t look too disappointed to lose out on it.
“950’s a good price, but the item is only tangentially related to my essences.” She said, noting Jay’s thoughtful expression.
Vega and Akira seemed to understand. But Lyra’s comment intrigued Jay, he mulled it over as he returned his attention to the stage.
What essences does Lyra use? She didn’t appear to use any in the fight we watched, she didn’t copy her opponents attack, or use any illusions. So what is it?
Jay didn’t ask, partly because the next item was being rolled out, and partly because he’d promised to watch Lyra’s old fights and never gotten round to it. Maybe he’d figure it out when he eventually watched them.
The next item was another skill crystal. A sapphire called “The body as a weapon: Infinite angles. Infinite blades.” The name intrigued Jay, so he placed a bid on it for 350, slightly above the starting price. Jay stared at the board, waiting to see if someone would outbid him.
Ezekiel, the Soulsnatcher
38
351
Jay and Vega immediately turned their heads to Ezekiel’s table. Jay didn’t know much about auction etiquette, but he knew one-upping someone like that was a slap in the face.
Ezekiel and Davad didn’t even look back. They kept staring straight at the stage.
Jay reached for the table sign, he held it up and mentally signalled a bid of 400.
Ezekiel reached for his own sign, calmly holding it up. No emotion other than a slight twitch in his cheek.
Ezekiel, the Soulsnatcher
38
401
“Well that’s just taking the piss!” Jay huffed. He reached for the sign again, but another person had bid on the crystal already.
The Ten Tailed Fox
34
450
Jay was about to place another bid, but Akira grabbed his hand. “Whatever you bid, he’ll Just bid one higher.”
“I get that, so why not make him pay for it?” Jay replied. He tried to move his hand but couldn't break Akira’s iron grip.
“Not worth it.” Akira shook his head and pointed to table 34. “Fox placed the 450 bid. If he wants the item let’s let him have it, rather than jacking up the price.”
Jay understood what Akira was saying. He even agreed with it. But that didn’t mean it felt any good. He was backing off; letting Ezekiel bully him in front of a whole crowd of people.
The crystal went to Fox. He gave them a thumbs up from table 34 as the tray rolled offstage.
Jay didn’t even listen to the next crystal’s description. As soon as the hostess was done, he placed a bid worth 500 on it.
Ezekiel, the Soulsnatcher
38
501
Seriously?
Jay bid 1000.
A few seconds went by and Jay slowly realised he'd Just spent a third of his money on something he didn’t even know the name of.
Ezekiel, the Soulsnatcher
38
1001
The relief on his face must have been evident, because Lyra glared at him with all the scorn of a disappointed parent.
“You’re lucky that crystal was rain related.” Lyra slid the table sign away from Jay. “He probably thought you actually wanted it. Save your aggression for something useful.”
Easy for you to say. You’re not the one getting clowned in front of hundreds of people.
“We’ll get the fucker.” Vega said, cracking her neck and leaning forward. “Just you wait until there's a good item.”
Seven more crystals went by. Some of them interested Jay, and he placed bids on them. Bids that were quickly one-upped by table 38.
The auction moved onto magic items. Several went by, they interested Jay, but none seemed especially useful. A helmet that enhanced vision, a pair of boots that increased your jump height, and a sword that transformed into a glaive.
The next item caught Jay's eye. A navy-blue metal shield, maybe a metre in diameter. He didn’t know why until the hostess started describing it.
“This shield is the creation of an apprentice at the Heartforge. Infused with the essences of lightning and flight and layered with channels of cognitive essence. This shield can be used regularly, as a thrown weapon, or as an autonomous guardian that floats around its wielder. Inlaid in its centre is a faulty evolution crystal, while it may not completely work with the shield as intended, it could still prove useful as material for another project. The starting price will be 900 CP.”
Akira immediately bid 1000. His eyes shot open, and he couldn’t hide his joy as he turned towards Jay. “This is perfect for you it-”
His excitement was cut short by being outbid, but not by Ezekiel this time. Someone had bid 1400 before he’d had the chance to bid 1001.
Jay bid 2000.
Ezekiel, the Soulsnatcher
38
2001
He put in a bid for 2400, everything he’d got after his last fight.
Ezekiel, the Soulsnatcher
38
2401
“Fuck!” Jay didn’t want to let anyone know his annoyance, especially table 38, but he couldn’t keep it in. “Guys, how much can I borrow? I really want to beat this fucker, he can’t be made of money.”
“I’m pretty broke right now.” Vega growled, gripping one fist with the other. “I only have 1749. You can use all of it.”
Jay placed a bid for 4157. All his points from the fight, everything left over from his first, and all of Vega’s points on top. All for a shield that started at 900 CP.
Ezekiel, the Soulsnatcher
38
4158
“FUCK!” Vega let out a louder shout than Jay. One surely audible from table 38. “How is this guy so fucking rich?”
“He’s had nine fights in the last two weeks.” Lyra said, a gold glow fading from her eyes. “I bet he was saving up for tonight.”
“Nine!” Akira leaned forward in disbelief. “How the fuck did he do that?”
“By winning them all very easily.”
Lyra sighed and sat back in her chair. “I can offer a thousand, but not much more, there’s stuff I want to buy and I don’t want to fight again before advancement.”
Akira grimaced. He gripped his sword tightly. “Same here. I can offer two thousand, but that’s all I’ve got.”
Jay placed his final offer and hoped it would be accepted.